Sombo Seminar – July 2011

Robin French with John Clarke and Collin Carrott

On Saturday 9th July 2011 I was lucky enough to attend a 4-hour Sombo seminar with John Clarke and Collin Carrott, hosted by Laurence Sandum‘s Black Belt Martial Arts Academy in Chelmsford, Essex.

Both John Clarke and Collin Carrott are highly experienced Sombo wrestlers, having competed all around the World. With this in mind, I was excited to receive their seminar that focused solely on Sombo.

Sombo, although a descendent art of Judo, becomes a very different sport due to what is legal and also the way that rounds are scored.

By having such highly regarded instructors, I learned not only the techniques but also how they should be performed for maximum effectiveness.

After the seminar, I took the opportunity to grade in Sombo; this meant an additional gruelling half hour non-stop demonstration of throws, locks and pins.

After the syllabus grading, some attendees stayed to certify as IBF Sombo Instructors; this comprised of a demonstration of teaching skills as well as a bout of questions, regarding rules of the sport.

As ever, Peter Squire was my body throughout the day and I would like to extend a special thanks to him.

A big thanks also to John Clarke and Collin Carrott, for taking the time to travel from Sittingbourne to Chelmsford to give the seminar, and to Laurence Sandum for hosting it.